Talented colt earns a crack at the Australian Guineas

Up and coming three-year-old Sheer Talent was an impressive winner of the Group Three $150,000 VRC C.S.Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Despite being considered "a run short" by his trainer, Sheer Talent powered home after racing handily in fourth position to defeat Force Command by three quarters of a length. Hosting was a half head away in third while last year's ATC Up & Coming Stakes winner and race favourite Albrecht finished out of a place.

The win bought up a stakes double for trainer Mark Kavanagh and recently returned jockey Stephen Baster who combined earlier on the program with two-year-old Casquets.

“It’s great to be back with a winner at Flemington, great to be home,” said Baster after a successful stint riding in Singapore.

Sheer Talent, a son of Caulfield Guineas winner and champion sire Redoute's Choice, will now be aimed at the $500,000 Group One VRC Australian Guineas run at Flemington on March 2.

The manner in which he won the C.S.Hayes Stakes suggests he will be well suited by the 1600 metres of the Guineas.

“I think he is definitely going to be better over more ground so what you’ve seen today he is going to improve on when he steps up," said Baster.

Trainer Mark Kavanagh purchased Sheer Talent from the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions for $350,000 from the draft of Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud. Harvey, for whom Kavanagh trained Sheer Talent's full stakes winning sister Kittens, retains a share in the colt.